Objective:

Periodontitis and the risk of fibromyalgia: A population-based cohort study

Background:

Periodontitis has been reported to result in chronic inflammatory
diseases. This cohort study aimed to investigate the relationship between
periodontitis and fibromyalgia.

Design/Methods:

We enrolled 196,428 individuals with periodontitis and 196,428 matched
individuals without periodontitis based on propensity scores. We employed a Cox
proportional hazard model to assess the risk of developing fibromyalgia and
conducted survival analysis to examine how periodontitis influenced the onset of
fibromyalgia over time. Subgroup analyses were performed, stratifying the
population by age, gender, and tracking period, to pinpoint vulnerable groups

Results:

Our findings revealed that individuals with periodontitis had a higher
likelihood of developing fibromyalgia compared to those without periodontitis
(Hazard Ratio [HR] = 1.42, 95% Confidence Interval [CI] = 1.39-1.44, p < 0.001). This
increased risk persisted in the survival analysis (log-rank test p < 0.0001). Notably,
this effect was observed across both genders and all age subgroups, with a
particularly pronounced association in males (HR = 1.52, 95% CI = 1.48-1.56, p <
0.001) and among younger individuals with periodontitis (HR = 1.55, 95% CI = 1.50-
1.60, p < 0.001).

Conclusions:

Our study demonstrates that individuals with periodontitis, regardless
of gender and age, face an elevated risk of developing fibromyalgia. Notably, males
and individuals under 30 years old with periodontitis appear to be the most
susceptible to the development of fibromyalgia associated with periodontitis.